A Red and Black Sunrise
by aftersh0cks
Summary: Lionblaze becomes deputy of ThunderClan; what will Hollyleaf do to get that position? Sunrise spoilers! Oneshot.


**A Red and Black Sunrise**

Hollyleaf sat down next to Lionblaze. A Clan meeting had just been called, almost certainly for the naming of ThunderClan's new deputy. Brambleclaw had died that day, and no cat knew how he had died – that is, except for Hollyleaf.

Brambleclaw had died at the claws of Hollyleaf.

The ThunderClan deputy's killer stifled a grin of pride – she couldn't show anything that showed any connection to Brambleclaw's death. That would surely erase any chances she had of becoming deputy, even though she had an apprentice now, Rosepaw.

Firestar was standing on top of Highledge. "It is time for me to name a new deputy, as ours is now in StarClan," he meowed, his eyes, clouded with grief, narrowing and sweeping across the clearing as if he thought someone in ThunderClan had killed Brambleclaw.

"I say these words before the body of Brambleclaw, hoping that he will hear and approve my choice." He paused for a moment, making sure his choice was right before continuing. Hollyleaf felt an irresistible tug of ambition, and prayed to StarClan that she would be deputy, for if she became leader, she would do anything to protect her Clan. It was just what was needed now to become ThunderClan's deputy, that she was willing to push herself a little bit farther than she usually would for her needs, just a bit beyond than the warrior code allowed.

Then Firestar's words came. And they were not what Hollyleaf wanted to hear. "The new deputy of ThunderClan will be Lionblaze." The look on Firestar's face alone told Hollyleaf that he was sure of his words, that Lionblaze would make a good leader and would take his place as Lionstar soon.

Hollyleaf let out a short snarl under her breath. "Lionblaze, go get Jayfeather and meet me near the WindClan border near sunrise, okay?" She felt her powers kicking in, like Sol's that layered her voice with sweetness and sarcasm; excitement and anger all at once, the voice that could make any cat do anything she wanted. Hollyleaf's spirits rose as the thought of being the most powerful of the power of three shot up in her, and with the thought still high in her head, she padded into the warriors den, hoping she woke up before sunrise.

"Oh, Hollyleaf, you're even better than Lionblaze. The mouse brain has no ambition left in him at all; he'd rather give his position as deputy to you." The deep voice came from right behind Hollyleaf, and she turned around to see an identical copy of Brambleclaw staring at her. Or was it Brambleclaw? No. Tigerstar.

"Lionblaze was here?" she asked the great warrior, curious. She had no idea Lionblaze could be in this dark forest, when he was perfect in every way.

"Lionblaze was here," agreed Tigerstar. His eyes were glinting with the same ambition Hollyleaf had in her.

"Yes?" she prompted, wondering how Tigerstar would react if she annoyed him, even just a little bit.

"Lionblaze was here!" snarled Tigerstar. "If you won't listen to me, you may as well leave."

Entering the forest of her dreams, she had felt a kind of curiosity. Now the truth had appeared in her head: Jayfeather was the medicine cat, and Lionblaze was the deputy. And she, Hollyleaf, was just a regular warrior. The most powerful cat in the Clan was a regular old warrior!

As the angry thoughts coursed through her, she blinked her eyes open on the gray light of the approaching dawn.

Ferncloud was curled up right in front of Hollyleaf; the black she-cat almost tripped over her and had to speed away so not to be caught.

"By sunrise, I'll have the deputy position," she muttered to herself. Looking up, she saw Lionblaze standing with Jayfeather and … Breezepelt? Why was he here?

Putting on an extra burst of speed, she raced towards her brothers. "You're early," she greeted them.

"So?" asked Lionblaze. "What are we here for?"

Hollyleaf thought over her decision for a moment. "Lionblaze, I have to fight with you. It's the only way."

Lionblaze's amber eyes flashed. "Why?"

"I need your deputy position." Hollyleaf looked into his amber eyes. "So what's your answer?" Hollyleaf unsheathed her claws.

"No!" Lionblaze cried. "I can't fight a sibling." His eyes flickered over Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and then Breezepelt. "I can't fight any of you. Even Breezepelt."

Hollyleaf had known that Lionblaze's answer would be no. "Well, if you think I'm not going to fight you because of your answer, you were wrong." And with that, she swept past Jayfeather and Breezepelt and raked her claws down Lionblaze's side. It was light, but drops of blood were already oozing out of the shallow wound.

Hollyleaf turned to face him. "Want that again?"

Lionblaze looked at his sister, his eyes growing darker with bloodlust. "If you say so," he replied, and suddenly Hollyleaf and Lionblaze was a blur of black and gold, each fighting the other.

Suddenly Lionblaze had Hollyleaf pinned down. "Want that again?" he taunted her.

Hollyleaf struggled, and glared at her brother. "Let me go," she snarled.

"Oh, yeah?" Lionblaze taunted again. He raised a paw.

Breezepelt gasped. "No, Lionblaze, you can't!"

Lionblaze turned to Breezepelt, his eyes a terrible scarlet. "Do you really think I won't?" he meowed softly. He brought his paw down on Hollyleaf's neck, scraping his claws across her throat.

Hollyleaf choked, and coughed up blood. She tried to claw Lionblaze, but her struggles grew weaker and weaker, and then she was dead.

"No!" yowled Breezepelt. "How could you?"

Lionblaze was staring down at Hollyleaf in horror. "How could I? It's over."

"No, it isn't," murmured Jayfeather.

His two brothers turned to face him.

"The omen of the stars has spoken, and the fourth apprentice will continue Hollyleaf's legacy."

The three looked at their sister, the sun rising behind her, outlining her black fur, and the blood staining her pelt.

"It's a red and black sunrise," murmured Lionblaze.


End file.
